Chapter 3 Part 18

Jeong Chang-in said, shaking the book as if it were curious. Jeong Tae-ui ruffled his hair, rising drowsily from the bed, his face groggy with sleep, and scratched his head.

“No wonder I had such a restless dream… it must have been because something was placed on my face.”

“A dream? When did you fall asleep to have dreamed so much in that short time?”

Jeong Chang-in laughed as he looked at Jeong Tae-ui, taking off his outer clothes and unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt. Jeong Tae-ui, still not fully awake, turned his head to look at the clock. It was a little early to be considered midnight.

“I think I slept for about two hours. The dream… what was it? I was dragged away by Jeong Chang-in, trapped on some island, living a bloody life with vicious men…”

“Hmm… I don’t think that’s an ordinary dream. How about buying a Lottery Ticket?”

“When you say it’s not an ordinary dream, do you mean it’s a very ordinary dream?”

“Exactly.”

“…Jeong Chang-in, have you perhaps changed professions recently? To sales for a Lottery Ticket promotion agency, or something?”

“Oh, really? Did Korea create something like that while I was away for a while? That sounds interesting.”

“Gambling industries are thriving day by day, so it might appear soon…,” Jeong Tae-ui muttered, waking fully from his drowsiness. He got out of bed, took water from the refrigerator, and drank it, completely shaking off his sleep.

He smoothed back his disheveled hair and turned to see Jeong Chang-in taking off his shirt.

“You seem busy these days. I’ve been coming here to read every day for the past few days, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Jeong Chang-in.”

“I’m always frantically busy right before Joint Training. The paperwork alone is a mountain, a sheer mountain. Plus, I have to make arrangements here and there in advance, just in case a few guys die.”

“I hope I’m not the beneficiary of those arrangements,” Jeong Tae-ui muttered, then sat on the stool by the bed, gazing at Jeong Chang-in. Jeong Chang-in, who had quickly stripped and was heading to the bathroom, showed no outward signs of fatigue, even though his voice was hoarse. Jeong Tae-ui had always returned to his Male Dormitory Room past midnight after reading in this room these past few days, which meant Jeong Chang-in had also been finishing work past midnight every day. He certainly had good stamina.

“Come to think of it, you’re staying here.”

“Ah, yes. Jeong Chang-in, are you going to the South America Branch? I heard one of the Instructors would be leading them.”

“No, Golding is going this time, not me. But I’ll be going to another branch for the next Joint Training.”

Jeong Chang-in’s voice came from the bathroom he had entered. There was a brief sound of water, followed by the bustling sound of suds, as if he was washing his hair.

“But why are you so bad at drawing lots? Of all things, you ended up staying here, where it’s bound to get utterly gruesome. Even with a 50% chance, you should have been able to pick a lucky lot.”

“Someone like my brother, Jeong Jae-ui, has already drawn all the lucky lots.”

“Is there anyone else in the world like Jeong Jae-ui? He alone is enough to make the world unfair.”

Jeong Tae-ui couldn’t help but laugh at Jeong Chang-in’s muttering.

“It looks like this training won’t end peacefully either.”

Jeong Chang-in said with an annoyed tone. Jeong Tae-ui stopped tapping his heel on the stool. He then stared towards the bathroom, as if intently watching Jeong Chang-in, who was out of sight.

“That sounds rather ominous. …Has the list of Europe Branch members who will be coming here arrived?”

“Hmm—the final confirmation will be made tomorrow morning after their plane takes off, but it’s pretty much decided.”

“If the training isn’t going to end peacefully… it seems there’s a problematic fellow among the branch members coming this way.”

Jeong Tae-ui subtly probed. He couldn’t hear clearly over the sound of Jeong Chang-in rinsing his hair with the shower running, but it seemed he heard a generally affirmative answer.

League-row. Rick, the madman whom no one in the Europe Branch could touch. The man who left crimson traces with his dark black Gloves.

That man was coming to this Asia Branch, where Jeong Tae-ui remained.

He had countless times thought his brother was a lucky man, but he had never once thought his own life was unlucky. Perhaps he needed to revise that thought a little.

“He’s notorious as a complete madman… Members will be on high alert, but even the instructors will have a hard time if someone like that comes.”

As Jeong Tae-ui spoke, Jeong Chang-in’s grumbling “Indeed” was heard.

“Watching the video a while ago, it made me lose the will to even confront him… Jeong Chang-in, do you think I could come out unscathed if I fought that person?”

Jeong Chang-in answered immediately without much thought.

“It would be difficult.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s not just you; it’s the same for anyone. It’s hard for anyone to confront a guy like that and come out in one piece. Well, if you go in with the resolve to sacrifice your bones and cut off your flesh, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

“Sacrifice my bones and cut off my flesh… that’s a loss for me, isn’t it?”

“I’m telling you, he’s just that kind of guy. You only saw one video, didn’t you? Ask the others who’ve experienced it firsthand. Even if there’s some gutsy guy willing to challenge him, there won’t be any boastful individual with the nerve to say they’ll do it alone.”

Jeong Tae-ui fell silent. Even when Jeong Chang-in spoke in a light tone, he never lied. Nor did he make wrong judgments, at least not that Jeong Tae-ui had ever witnessed.

“…I guess the only option is to run away well, if I want to save my petty life.”

“Well, he’s not a murderer who kills everyone he meets, so there’s no need to be so solemn about it. The important thing is not to get involved.”

Jeong Chang-in came out of the bathroom. With a towel draped over his wet hair, Jeong Chang-in, naked, took water from the refrigerator and gulped it down straight from the bottle. The 1-liter water bottle was more than half empty in an instant, as if all the moisture had been drained from his body.

“Are you already finished washing?”

“No, I only washed my hair. I was thirsty. I’d been swamped with work all afternoon, unable to properly eat or drink. And after dinner, the list of Europe Branch members arriving the day after tomorrow came in, causing another huge commotion. Anyway, if that guy is coming, the places I need to contact usually increase by one or two. Like a mortician, for example.”